Customer Reviews

The Blackstone Book of Magic and Illusion

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As a Conjurer I have studied the classic works of many of the great old conjurers. Of all of them Blackstone is one of the most well known. This book provides clear and simple explanations of some of the greatest tricks and illusions known to Magic. Great for the beginning or advanced conjuror.

I have to say that this book gives a history of magic and some vague answers to the art of magic and illusion. It was basic information with some simple tricks. You could probably find the same stuff on the internet for free. If you are looking for answers about bigger illusions than making two matches pass through each other then this is not your book. He implies that the reader is not ready for some of the larger tricks in a tone that could be considered arrogant. Also, there is a lot of him tooting his own horn or telling you how great he is and how great his dad was, like we did not already know. He makes several references in the book as to how his dad was better than Houdini and how Houdini stole ideas and property from his dad. Maybe true, but thats not what I bought the book for. All in all, dont waste your money. It would be better spent elsewhere....you could learn more on YouTube and not have to read through all the fluff.

I've checked the Blackstone Book of Magic out from the library more times than I can count. And I suppose I am writing a review because I want to recommend this book to anyone I can.

The book covers many topics. The main topic, and the topic most warmly covered by Harry Blackstone, Jr., is his father's work and legacy. Harry Jr. tells stories of traveling with his father and the entire crew of the magic act when Harry Jr. was young. He tells about his fathers greatest achievements, how Harry Jr. perceived magic as a boy, and how he eventually got into the business himself.

If I recall, he also covers the history of magic, a little bit. However, the most memorable part of the book for me, are the magic tricks. There are a wide range of tricks, from illusions to perform in front of a small audience, to illusions which are to be done across from someone at a dinner table. None of the illusions are so hard to master that you couldn't do them, and many are so simple in their steps, but so impressive in their impact, that you may just realize what a genius Harry Jr. was.

In closing, I recommend this book because I don't think you will find a book that has the attributes this one has anywhere else. Harry Jr. has the warmth, experience, and teaching skill to make this book a one of a kind.

If you are looking for a book to learn magic tricks, try something else (like the Mark Wilson Course in Magic.) But if you would like a general book about magic history, especially the careers of the Blackstone Family, this is a good book to get. It covers all aspects of magic starting with ancient China, going through medieval times and heavily emphasizing from 1850 - 1980. Lots of photos and descriptions of a variety of magicians but only gets in depth with the Blackstones. It does have a few basic tricks but they are covered much better in other books.
Overall I enjoyed it.